Category: Politics

Oct 09, 2011 (LBO) – Sri Lanka’s ruling coalition of President Mahinda Rajapaksa won a a series of local councils except the capital Colombo and an eastern town, following polls marred by a deadly shootout among party rivals. The ruling United National People’s Alliance won 21 out of 23 city councils with the main opposition […]

October 9, 2011 (AFP) – The Sri Lankan president’s party won 22 out of 23 local councils in elections, results showed Sunday, as police investigated a gun battle between political rivals in which three people were killed. Two factions within the national ruling alliance clashed shortly before polling closed on Saturday, leaving a presidential aide […]

October 9, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police launched an investigation on Sunday into an election-day gunfight between political rivals in which three people were shot dead, including one adviser to the president. Police said Premachandra, 55, died of multiple gunshot wounds along with the two bodyguards in the short but bloody fight after a […]

October 8, 2011 (AFP) – A presidential aide and his bodyguard were shot dead in a gunbattle involving opposing factions of the Sri Lankan ruling party during Saturday’s local council elections in the capital, police said. Former lawmaker and advisor to the president, Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to hospital […]

October 8, 2011 (AFP) – Voters in Sri Lanka’s capital went to the polls Saturday to elect a local municipal council, in a contest widely seen as a mid-term test for President Mahinda Rajapakse. Rajapaksa’s ruling coalition, the United People’s Freedom Alliance, is fielding candidates for the prestigious Colombo municipality as well as 22 others, […]

October 6, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka Thursday announced a new move to address human rights issues in the face of international pressure over war crimes allegations arising from the end of the island’s civil war. The government said it hoped to strengthen civil liberties and ensure better human rights compliance through the implementation of […]

September 29, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s police detained 50 failed asylum seekers flown back to the country Thursday after being expelled from Britain, police said. Eight women and 42 men — mostly ethnic minority Tamils– were deported by Britain’s Border Agency, which chartered an aircraft to return them home after they failed in a […]

UNITED NATIONS, September 26, 2011 (AFP) – States and armed groups that refuse to stop recruiting child soldiers must be subject to tougher pressure in the form of sanctions, France’s ambassador for human rights has said. Francois Zimeray will make that case on Monday at a meeting at the United Nations on the sidelines of […]

UNITED NATIONS, September 24, 2011 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s president on Friday condemned “tainted” international allegations of a military massacre of civilians during an assault to end a Tamil rebellion. Tamil community members earlier this year filed a lawsuit against Rajapakse when he paid a private visit to the United States. The Sri Lankan government […]